Usually, the consensus is that St. John's is a squad that plays hard. But, the Johnnies (16-14, 6-12 BIG EAST) wouldn't have expected to have to play tough through the first triple overtime in the Norm Roberts Era.[details]

OVERVIEWKoshwal was one of the few bright spots for DePaul, a storied program which has featured the likes of college basketball greats George Mikan, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, Rod Strickland and Quentin Richardson. Since the Blue Demons began competing in the sport in 1923, Koshwal was the first player to serve as team captain as a freshman and the first athlete to serve in that capacity three times during his career.

Nayal "Mac" Koshwal is a native of the Sudan, having moved to Canada with his family as a child and then to Chicago at age 16. He became the 46th player in school history to join the 1,000-point club (ranks 44th at 1,019 points) as a junior and was the 14th Blue Demon to register over 300 rebounds in a season (308 in 2008-09 tied for 12th on the DePaul annual record chart).

Koshwal would finish his career 11th in school annals with 750 boards and placed 10th on the university's career record list with an average of 9.26 rebounds per game. He also ranks 12th in field goal percentage (.521) and 23rd with 114 steals. The forward/center scored in double figures 58 times while starting 79-of-81 games for the Blue Demons. He recorded at least ten rebounds in 37 contests and posted 27 double-double performances.

A prep teammate at Boys to Men Academy with DePaul teammate Jeremiah Kelly, Koshwal was rated the 27th-best player in the nation and the sixth-best power forward by Rivals.com. Rivals also tabbed him as the second-best player in the state of Illinois, as he received high honorable mention All-American recognition from Street & Smith's.

Koshwal was regarded as the 26th-best player in the country by Lindy's and The Sporting News. He was ranked 32nd in the nation by CBS Sportsline.com and tabbed as the 37th-best senior by Athlon. He averaged a double-double in each of his three high school seasons (15 points and 10 rebounds as a sophomore, 18 points and 15 rebounds as a junior and 18 points and 10 boards as a senior).

Koshwal signed with DePaul on Nov. 13, 2006. He was named to the Big East Conference All-Rookie Team as a freshman, finishing third on the Blue Demons squad in scoring (10.7 points per game). His average of 8.4 rebounds and field goal percentage of .496 paced the team, as he also finished second with 1.2 steals while starting 30-of-32 contests.

The team captain registered eleven double-double performances as a sophomore. He again ranked third on the team with a 12.2-point scoring average, pacing DePaul with 9.6 rebounds per game and with a .527 field goal percentage. He was third on the team in steals (42) and averaged 1.8 assists, the second-best average on the squad.

Koshwal applied for the 2009 NBA Draft and worked out for several NBA teams (Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves) before wisely deciding to withdraw from the draft and return to school for the 2009-10 campaign. Despite missing eight games with a left foot injury and four more with right foot issues, the three-time team captain finished second on the team in scoring (16.1 points per game) while leading the Blue Demons in rebounds (10.1 rebounds per game), steals (1.8 steals per game) and field goal percentage (.544). In 19 games, he reached double figures in scoring 16 times.

After the 2009-10 campaign, Koshwal forfeited his final year of college eligibility by again applying to the NBA Draft.

GAME ANALYSISKoshwal nearly compiled the first triple-double in program history with 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals. The eight steals are tied for third on DePaul's single-game chart...Followed that up with a career-high (second time) 26 points and 10 boards vs. Louisville before totaling 19 points, 12 boards and four steals at Cincinnati...In the South Florida contest, Koshwal compiled 24 points, 11 boards and three blocked shots before a 23-point, 11-rebound outing vs. St. John's...Among the big rebounding games was a 22-rebound effort vs. Creighton in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic...Pulled down 19 rebounds vs. Northern Iowa in the Paradise Jam returned to the court from his left foot injury to a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double in 28 minutes of action at Florida Gulf Coast...Had 11 points, 10 boards, five assists at Seton Hall and scored 12 points at Connecticut with five rebounds, three steals...Added 18 points, 11 rebounds and three steals at Marquette while totaling nine points vs. Syracuse with seven rebonds, two assists, two steals...Notched his 20th career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds at Villanova...Collected 16 points vs. Georgetown with eight rebounds... Posted a 12-point, 19-rebound double-double along with four assists vs. Northern Iowa... Started the season with 19 points, 12 boards and four assists vs. Columbia.

GAME ANALYSIS2008-09 SEASONPlayed in 32 games with 32 starts, as he posted 24 games in double-figures, along with 11 double-doubles with five other games of double-figuring scoring and nine rebounds...The 11 double-doubles are tied for sixth in the Big East Conference...Produced 15 games with at least 10 boards...his 308 rebounds are tied for 12th on DePaul's season list (Jesse Nash, 1963-64)...Just one of 14 players in DePaul history to grab at least 300 rebounds in a season...His 9.6 rebounding average is 24th in the final NCAA statistical rankings...Ranked among Big East leaders in field goal percentage (.527), rebounding (9.6 rebounds per game), offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds...Averaged 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in two Big East Championship games.

2008-09 SEASON Played all 40 minutes in the first round vs. Cincinnati with 12 points, nine boards and five assists...Added 12 rebounds at Georgetown and 11 points and 10 boards vs. St. John's...Tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds, two steals vs. Villanova and 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists at Louisville...Posted 16 boards and 11 points vs. Seton Hall and 18 points, five assists and four rebounds vs. Pittsburgh...Had 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists vs. Marquette and 14 points, nine boards, two assists, two blocks when the Blue Demons again played at Marquette...Produced 17 points at USF with eight rebounds, three steals and had 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals vs. Cincinnati...Scored 18 points, eight rebounds vs. South Florida and tallied 13 boards, 12 points and three steals at Syracuse...Had 10 rebounds, seven points at Providence, followed by a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. Notre Dame...Scored 19 points, 13 rebounds, two steals vs. Alcorn State...Named to the Las Vegas Classic All-Tournament Team after coming up with a career-high 22 rebounds with 13 points vs. Creighton. The 22 boards were the most by a DePaul player since Andre Brown's 27 rebounds at TCU on 2/06/02 and that total is tied for fifth on DePaul's single-game rebounding chart (last Ken Warzynski with 22 rebounds on Dec. 8, 1969 vs. John F. Kennedy)...Missed the Northwestern game with a foot injury.

2009-10 SEASONThe team captain missed eight games from 11/23-to-12/19 with a left foot injury and then sat out four more contests from 1/14-to-1/23 with a right foot issue...Started all nineteen games he played in, scoring in double figures 16 times, as he had at least ten rebounds in eleven contests and produced eleven double-double performances...Finished second on the team with a career-best 16.1-point scoring average, as he made 54.4 percent of his field goals (123-of-226), the 13th-best percentage in a season by a Blue Demon...Hit on 60-of-109 free throws (55.0 percent)...Led the team with 191 rebounds (10.1 rebounds per game), as he handed out 38 assists and led the squad with an average of 1.8 steals per game (35)...Also blocked 17 shots.

2007-08 SEASONWas the first freshman in DePaul history to serve as captain...Member of the Big East Conference All-Rookie Team and also was on the league's All-Freshman team selected by Rivals.com...Finished fifth in the league in rebounding (251 total, 8.4 rebounds per game) and 13th in field goal percentage (.496), as he was also named to the national All-American Freshman team by The Sporting News...His rebound total was the third-best ever by a DePaul freshman while his rebounding average was fourth and field goal percentage was fifth...Scored in double figures 18 times and had double figure rebounding efforts 10 times...Recorded 11 rebounds in collegiate debut at Creighton, the first DePaul freshman to have double figure rebounds in his initial game since Andre Brown in 2000...Became the first freshman to start a season opener under Jerry Wainwright at DePaul and the first Blue Demon fresh-man since Sammy Mejia in 2003 to accomplish that feat.

CAREER NOTESIn 81 career games over three seasons, Koshwal averaged 12.6 points and 9.3 rebounds while starting 76 times...Totaled 27 double-doubles and 58 career games in double-figures...Gathered at least 10 rebounds in 37 career games...Ranked among DePaul's all-time leaders in rebounding average (10thc 9.3 rebounds per game), total rebounds (11th -- 750), field goal percentage (12th -- .521), steals (2nd -- 114 steals) and career scoring (44th -- 1,019 pts.)...In the final game of the 2009-10 regular-season vs. St. John's, he became the 46th player in program history with 1,000 career points, finishing 44th (1,019)...His 308 rebounds as a sophomore tied Jesse Nash (1963-64) for 12th on the school season-record list...His field goal percentage of .544 in 2009-10 rank 13th on the DePaul annual record chart...First freshman to serve as team captain and the first player in school history to serve in that capacity during three campaigns.

HIGH SCHOOLAttended Boys To Men Academy (Chicago, Ill.)...Rated the 27th-best player in the nation and the sixth-best power forward by Rivals.com...Rivals also tabbed him as the second-best player in the state of Illinois, as he received high honorable mention All-American recognition from Street & Smith's...Regarded as the 26th-best player in the country by Lindy's and The Sporting News...Ranked 32nd in the nation by CBS Sportsline.com and tabbed as the 37th-best senior by Athlon...Averaged a double-double in each of his three high school seasons (15 points and 10 rebounds as a sophomore, 18 points and 15 rebounds as a junior and 18 points and 10 boards as a senior).

PERSONALEnrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences...Son of Martion Koshwal and Franda Akja...Born Nayal Koshwal on 10/19/87 in Sudan...Resides in Chicago, Illinois.

SCOUTING REPORTPositives: Has a long (7-foot-2 wingspan, 9-foot-1 standing reach) frame with good court quickness and above-average leaping ability...Has the reach and agility to attack the boards, getting most of his scoring output on put-backs and dunks...Capable passer who keeps the ball low and away from double-teams...Marked improvement with his post game was a credit to his nimble feet and overall mobility...Has the quickness to run the floor in an up-tempo attack...Showed a developing mid-range jumper as a junior...Has good body flexibility and can get the defender to commit with pump fakes...Gets a better charge to the basket off the dribble when attacking from the right side...Best in a fast-paced attack due to his quickness...Can disrupt his man off the dribble and has functional spin moves away from traffic...Uses his left shoulder efficiently when executing the turnaround while playing in the low post...Once he learns to time explosive leaps better, he could develop into a stronger rebounder...Is too quick and slippery through the lane for the bigger defenders, demonstrating explosive drives to the rim...By playing power forward in the team's three-guard attack, he racked up points last season on put-backs and became much more aggressive attacking the...Still lacks ideal basketball IQ, but shows good urgency and hustle...Decent finisher in transition, but has to learn how to use his long arms when facing up to an opponent in attempts to alter his man's shot.

Negatives: Turnover-prone, as he tried to do too much on a poor team...Does not have ideal basketball IQ and gets by as an athlete too often...Swings his arms wildly trying to alter shots and is easily fooled by pump fakes and hesitation moves that get him to leave his feet early...Marginal shot blocker due to his inability to time the rise of an opponent before the shot is made...Has the ability to draw contact on the way to the basket, but it is almost negated by his poor mechanics and erratic release when taking opportunities from the foul line...Good rebounder at this level, but will struggle in the NBA vs. the more physical opponent until he improves his core strength...For a big man, he spends too much time facing the basket and has to be more alert to establishing his base inside in order for the guards to feed him the ball around the basket...Can be pushed out of the paint by small wing players and has to become more aggressive working in the paint...Has had a recent history of foot problems that might need further medical evaluation...Most of his turnovers occur when he tries to make plays off the dribble...Good crashing the offensive boards, but must show the same intensity on the defensive end...Tries to get fancy with behind-the-back-dribbles and spin moves, only to lose handle on the ball...Does not generate explosion going up with his jumper and must do a better job of creating separation, as he takes too many contested and off-balanced shots.

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Compares To: AL THORNTON, Washington -- Koshwal is a steady rebounder with a developing mid-range game. There are many holes in his game and another year in college would've benefitted Koshwal. He's older than most juniors (23), thus leading to his decision to leave school. Even so, he could spend his first professional season in the D-League.